Tough collection of hills to get over today. This part of the East Cape highway really is deserted. Rough as guts too at times. Most times.

Managed 20ks before we ran into Peter and Beatrice: a couple from Switzerland cycling much of the way around the world. I drew them a terrible mud map of a suggested route over every bad hill in the Snowy Mountains for their return to Australia. On the Nth Island of New Zealand these guys had mounted huge red flags like a matador's cape on the backs of their bikes. A rather good idea if you ask me.

Long session riding down to Tikitiki, only delayed once by cows herded across the road. Watched pit bulls courting in the skate park.

More tough little hills to reach Te Araroa, which was also lovely even if the foreshore seemed to have hundred of trees washed up.